SINGAPORE - Australian football club Melbourne City have established another link with the Lion City after it entered a partnership with telecoms services provider MyRepublic, which has become its exclusive official Internet provider.

MyRepublic was founded in 2011 in Singapore, which remains its headquarters. It has since expanded operations to New Zealand and Australia.

Melbourne City, who won their first A-League title in 2021, had previously signed Singapore international Safuwan Baharudin on loan in 2015.

The defender, who on Tuesday earned his 100th international cap, became the first Singaporean to play in the A-League, featuring six times for the club.

The club's partnership with MyRepublic marks the company's first sponsorship deal with a football team. The company declined to reveal the value or length of the deal.

As part of the deal, MyRepublic's logo now features on the front of the training kits of the club's A-League men's team, as well as the sleeve and back of the match jerseys of the club's women's team that competes in the Liberty A-League.

The women had the new kit on in their 2-1 defeat by Melbourne Victory on Dec 12.

"This partnership is a meeting of like-minded brands," said Ji Jing, MyRepublic group chief marketing officer and country manager for Australia in a media statement.

"Like City, we play to win, and we believe in breaking barriers and smashing glass ceilings along the way.

"As an ISP (internet service provider) who operates across Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, we are a champion for diversity and inclusion and are thrilled to support both the men's and women's teams."

City chief executive officer Brad Rowse added: "Our fans want to see the fastest players on the pitch and I'm sure they want their club to partner with the best brands off the pitch.

"With MyRepublic we have opened a door for them to experience a genuinely trailblazing proposition and lightning speed Internet connectivity."